Eighteen international scholars will arrive at the University of Delaware on the Thursday, Jan. 4, for the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on National Security Policymaking.

The Study of the U.S. Institutes are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate student leaders, faculty and scholars from around the world. The institutes are hosted by academic institutions throughout the United States and include an intensive academic program, leadership development, and community activities to help broaden participants understanding of U.S. society.

This is UD’s second year hosting the program and the Institute will focus on U.S. national security policymaking and the continuity of national security during transitions. Through lectures, readings, roundtable discussions, open forums, guided tours and social activities, participants will gain new insight and perspective on the United States and its national security efforts.

“This program provides the University of Delaware a great opportunity to network with our international colleagues, improve the research and teaching of U.S. national security policymaking at home and overseas, and serves to enhance UD’s reputation as a key partner with the State Department in promoting mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and our foreign guests,” said Dan Bottomley, associate director of partnerships & programs at the Institute for Global Studies.

Meet the Participants

Participants hail from Argentina, Cameroon, Chile, China, Georgia, Ghana, India, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. As mid-career foreign scholars, faculty and practitioners, each brings with them years of experience in the field of national security policymaking, both on land and at sea.

Some, like Felicity Ankoma-Sey, from Ghana, serve as faculty members in higher education institutions. Ankoma-Sey is a senior lecturer and acting dean of Maritime Studies at the Regional Maritime University and is a member of the board of directors of the Ghana Maritime Authority. In these roles, she contributes to the coastal nation’s policies on maritime affairs, specifically safety and security.

Ankoma-Sey says that she plans to take away innovative ideas to introduce at her university in the form of new courses and workshops. “I also hope to be able to share my opinion on contemporary maritime security issues in Ghana,” she said, “including the Ghana-Ivory Coast maritime boundary dispute.”

Qiang Yang, a Lecturer at the China Foreign Affairs University, teaches courses to undergraduate and graduate students in the History of U.S. Foreign Policy and U.S. National Security Policymaking, among others.

“By attending this Institute, I think I can greatly improve both of the courses I offer in English at my university, planning to readjust the design, content, and instruction methods, but also contribute to the betterment of relevant courses in China,” he said.

Others, like Tomas Cizik from the Slovak Republic, serve in roles outside of academia. Cizik is the director of the Center for European and North Atlantic Affairs, an independent think-tank focused on issues of foreign and security policy in Slovakia and the Euro-Atlantic region.

Members of the University community are invited to meet all of this year’s SUSI on U.S. National Security Policymaking participants at two open public forums to be held in Gore Hall’s room 103 on:  

• Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Monday, Feb. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

To see moments of this year’s program, follow along @UDGlobal on Instagram and Twitter and engage using the hashtag #UDSUSI.

About the Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.

Best known for coordinating the University’s study abroad program, IGS also awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities, and administers internationally-recognized State Department-sponsored programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Institute, Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders, and most recently the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership (SUSI-WL) program.

IGS sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and country-specific celebrations each spring.

IGS collaborates with other global partners on campus, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute, and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.